Handcuffs
by vespertine dreams
Summary: After a night out, Connor wakes up with a hangover and the memory of doing something really stupid. Slash- Connor/Danny. Reviews welcome.


Handcuffs

Connor awoke to a shrill bleeping sound that made his head pound. No, come to think of it, his head was pounding anyway… What the hell had he been drinking last night? His bedroom door burst open and Abby came bouncing into his room, looking way too damn perky for this time in the morning. She hadn't come in empty handed, he realised, as she set a mug of tea down on the bedside cabinet.

"Connor, are you actually awake?" she asked, leaning closer to peer at him. "Wow, you look awful."

Even her voice was too loud, he thought as he dragged the covers over his head.

"Go 'way."

"No." She lifted the covers and handed him two aspirins. "Take these, get yourself cleaned up and I'll give you a lift to work."

Work, now that was the last thing he wanted today. He didn't think that Lester would have any sympathy for his current state, or let him have a sick day, since it was entirely self-inflicted. Reluctantly, he sat up and reached for his tea to take his tablets with.

By the time he'd had a shower he was feeling more awake, but there was still the lingering headache. Tablets could only do so much; they couldn't work miracles. Little bits and pieces were starting to come back to him about the previous night as well, flashes that were slowly knitting together to form a picture.

They had gone to a bar to celebrate Sergeant Andrews' birthday, and he remembered someone suggesting Tequila Slammers and then a lot more drinking… Oh God. Connor stopped dead in the kitchen doorway, his mind replaying the memory, bringing it a little clearer into focus each time.

"Connor, are you alright?"

Connor's thoughts were still running through the events at the bar.

"Connor?"

This time he looked up at her. "Tell me I'm imagining the whole thing, Abbs."

Abby grinned. "You mean when you kissed Danny in the middle of the bar? Sorry, Connor."

It _had_ happened, which meant that he'd outed himself in front of his colleagues. Why Danny? Not that he hadn't daydreamed about kissing Danny since that first day they'd met, but at least they'd been friends. Now, he'd made a fool of himself and it would be weird between them. Danny would be uncomfortable around him after this; he'd seen the man flirting with every woman he met so there was no way he was going to be OK with snogging a bloke in a bar.

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Connor spent the majority of his morning hiding in his office, avoiding everyone. Abby had come in once or twice to see him, as had Sarah- she looked about as bad as he felt and he figured she must have been on the Tequila Slammers too- but he wasn't really in the mood to chat.

He heard the door open but didn't bother to look up. It was just Abby again.

"I'm busy and I really don't want to talk."

There was silence and then Danny's voice, apologetic and just a little bit hurt.

"Sorry. I just wanted- It doesn't matter," he said. "Sorry I disturbed you."

Connor looked up and saw Danny turn to leave, closing the door behind him. As much as he really didn't want to have the conversation he'd been running away from all morning, a part of him wanted to call Danny back. He wanted Danny to stay, missing the usual friendly banter between them, but he couldn't quite get past the blush-furiously-and-start-to-babble instinct that kicked in each time he saw the former policeman today.

Why oh why couldn't he have just kept away from the booze? That way, they would still have been friends; being friends was better than nothing, if he couldn't have Danny the way he really wanted him.

Abby came back into the office half an hour later to find Connor with his forehead against the desk, muttering to himself. She caught the part about never drinking again and then Danny's name. She smiled; he really had it bad, she thought.

"So, are you ever going to face him?"

Connor sat up quickly, then closed his eyes against the headache that the sudden movement had brought back.

"You can't keep avoiding him forever."

"Yes, I can."

Abby sighed. It was like dealing with a stubborn child sometimes.

"You know, it takes two people to kiss," she told him. "Think about it."

Luckily, there were no anomaly alerts- Connor didn't think that his head could take the noise that the siren made- and he managed to hide away in his office until lunchtime. Danny had tried to talk to him a couple of times when he'd ventured out but he'd seen him approach and avoided the confrontation, veering off to go and talk to someone or go back to his office. He and Abby were going out for lunch and he stood by the door to wait for her, swearing under his breath when he saw Danny walking beside her.

"Connor, this is for your own good," she said, moving swiftly and snapping a handcuff bracelet around his right wrist. The other went around Danny's left. She gave them both a sunny smile and a little wave and dashed back inside the ARC.

Connor gave the handcuffs a useless tug, examining them, before looking at Danny.

"We're stuck."

Danny nodded, and turned to go inside, leaving Connor no choice but to follow. He led them back to Connor's office. He really had a lot to thank Abby for; now, Connor couldn't run away.

"Since neither of us can go anywhere, we might as well talk," he said. "It's going to be a long afternoon if we have to spend it in silence."

He could see the defeated look in Connor's eyes as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Look, I'm sorry about last night. If you're going to yell at me or tell me that we're not friends any more can you just do it quickly and get it over with," Connor said. "Please."

"I have no intention of- Hang on a minute; is that why you've been acting weird all morning?" Danny asked in disbelief. "Oh for goodness' sake!"

Connor's eyes grew wide with surprise as Danny's free hand went to his neck, pulling him closer, until he could cover Connor's lips with his own. The younger man froze, going still against him, and for a moment, Danny wondered if he had misread Connor. Then he felt Connor's arm go around his waist as he opened up to the kiss, lips parting to allow Danny entry…

A sharp pain shot through Connor's wrist as the metal bracelet pinched his skin. He pulled back from Danny and glared at the handcuffs. Both he and Danny had tried to move their arms at the same time but their restraints wouldn't let them.

"Did you really think that I'd be angry? Why?"

Connor wouldn't meet his eyes. "Because you're you. And because I was embarrassed, OK? I not only outed myself to all my colleagues, but I made a complete idiot of myself by throwing myself at you. Everyone saw us; I thought you'd hate me for it."

"Oh, Connor, I don't hate you," Danny told him softly. "I couldn't. I do wish that you'd said something earlier, though."

Connor looked up at him then, his intense gaze searching Danny's face for any sign that he was being made fun of.

"But I've seen you flirting with Sarah, and, well, anyone else you meet," Connor pointed out.

"And I was under the impression that you had a thing for Abby," Danny countered, laughing at the horror on Connor's face at that suggestion. He laced his fingers through Connors. "How about we go for a drink after work? We can start again."

Connor nodded. "I'd like that." He noticed Abby go past the door and jumped to his feet, dragging Danny up with him. "ABBY! Come here."

At his yell, her blonde head popped around the doorframe.

"Yes?"

"OK, you've made your point," he told her, holding out his shackled hand. "You can unlock us now."

Abby smiled. "No, I can't."

"What do you mean, you can't? If you tell me that you've lost the keys I'll-"

"I never _had_ the keys to begin with. He does," she told him, pointing to Danny, who was now grinning. She let herself out of the office, calling back over her shoulder, "Where do you think I got the handcuffs in the first place?"

Connor groaned as he saw the smile on Danny's face. He'd just been played.

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End.


End file.
